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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23023546">A Tale of Two (Ex)Convicts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buttercup_1/pseuds/Buttercup'>Buttercup (Buttercup_1)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Brotp, Gen, cass and eugene grab drinks, snuggly duckling, the kind of talk i wish they got in the series, they're just siblings and they love each other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:28:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,058</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23023546</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Buttercup_1/pseuds/Buttercup</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the defeat of Zahn Tiri, Cass and Eugene finally get an opportunity to talk about everything that happened and their problems.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cassandra &amp; Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider (Disney)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>89</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Tale of Two (Ex)Convicts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I've always wanted to write a Cass and Eugene sib fic, but some fanart by rrookery on tumblr is what finally gave me the inspiration to actually sit down and write this. Enjoy! :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  
  <span>It was after a particularly exhausting day as Captain and Eugene wanted nothing more than to just beg the former Captain to take his position back. Though he knew that wasn’t really the noble and upstanding thing to do, now that they weren’t fighting Cassandra anymore, the older, more experienced man might have been willing to take his job back. However, even with having his daughter back, he wasn’t sure if he would be willing to put up with Pete and Stan’s incompetency when he had finally gotten out of constantly babysitting them. Eugene huffed in frustration and flopped backwards onto his bed, only to sit back up when he heard the crinkle of parchment under him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Eugene couldn’t decide exactly how he felt when he saw a note that he immediately recognized as Cassandra’s handwriting. It was hard to forget the handwriting of someone who’d sent you seven eviction notices. On one hand, he was glad to have her back. He, though he hated to admit it, had really missed Cass when she was… not in Corona. She had really grown on him and became something of a little sister. On the other hand… Eugene was the first to say Cass had made a lot of questionable choices and while he was willing to forgive her given his own poor past decisions, he wasn’t sure he could forget what she had done to them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Shaking himself from his thoughts, he decided to actually read the note. He doubted it would be another eviction notice with everything that had happened recently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Eugene,</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>Could you meet me at the Snuggly Duckling around 9? I’ll understand if you decide not to, but please at least consider it. I really need to talk to you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <em>
    <span>~Cass</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>If he was honest, he did consider not going for a moment, but in the end his curiosity outweighed any hard feelings he still harbored for her. Eugene looked at the clock that read 8:30 and smiled a little. </span>
  <em>
    <span>And after today he could really use a drink.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  
  <span>Cassandra sat at a small table against a wall, choosing to take the stool that faced the door. She looked up at the clock and then let out the breath she was holding. She turned her gaze back to the content of her mug that was no longer topped with bubbles. She was starting to wonder if she even had the right to ask for his forgiveness. Cassandra successfully forced back the tears that started to burn in her eyes and told herself that maybe he was just running late. She considered leaving, but she knew she owed it to him to have this talk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>The sound of the door creaking open caught her attention and upon recognizing the man she had once called a friend, it seemed easier to breathe. She let a small smile cross her lips when he caught her eye, but it dropped when he didn’t return the subtle greeting. He walked over to the bar and for a second, Cass thought that he might just ignore her. Her gaze dropped back to her mug, but this time she took a sip, the cool beverage washing down the lump that had formed in her throat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Starting without me?” Cassandra’s eyes shot open and slammed the mug down, choking on the beer that had slipped down the wrong pipe. She wanted to shoot a glare at the one who had startled her, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be angry when she heard the familiar laughter that at one point had bothered her, but now was like music to her ears. She had </span>
  <em>
    <span>missed</span>
  </em>
  <span> him. She found herself laughing along with him when she had finally caught her breath. She looked up to meet brown eyes that weren’t full of hostility, but fondness. He hadn’t said anything to her, but she felt a heavy weight lift off of her shoulder from the silent acceptance, the forgiveness she didn’t feel she deserved in his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You know… I really don’t get it.” The laughter died down and when his smile dropped, her gaze dropped back down to her drink that she swirled slowly around the bottom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You don’t get what?” She clenched her jaw as she fought back tears and tried to regain her composure. She stayed silent for a while as she took another drink. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“You and Rapunzel both have every reason to hate me, every reason to send me away from here for good, every reason to give up on me, but you don’t and I don’t get why. I wasn’t- I’m not worth any of that. I don’t deserve your forgiveness or friendship and you still offer it anyways… why?” Cassandra felt her voice break as she all but begged for an answer and she didn’t even notice that she had lost her battle against the tears until she felt a gloved finger run over her cheek and erased any evidence that she had been crying. Eugene’s finger moved to rest under her chin and gently guided her to look at him again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Cass, I know we didn’t always see eye to eye, and if I’m being honest, at first I didn’t want to forgive you, I didn’t want to reach out to you. You did hurt us, you betrayed us, but abandoning a friend, a friend as important as you, is something that Flynn Rider would do. Well, lucky for you, I’m Eugene Fitzherbert, and if I’ve learned anything from my time in Corona, it’s that friends don’t leave friends behind. Looking at you now, I’m glad we didn’t give up on you because I don’t see a villain, I see Cass, and Cass is someone worth fighting for... even if she thinks she isn’t.” At his words, Cassandra could no longer hide her tears. The two shot out of their chairs and Cass flung herself into Eugene as she choked out a sob. He smiled fondly at his old friend who was lost, but was finally found again and returned the embrace, holding her shaking body tightly against his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Eugene I’m so sorry for everything… I- y-you didn’t deserve anyth-thing I did to you.” Eugene took in a deep breath and pulled away so that they could look at each other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>“Hey, Cass, I told you you’re forgiven. We know you’re sorry. Now, I don’t like seeing you cry, so go wash up while I get us both drinks and promise me that we never speak of this moment to Rapunzel.” Cassandra chuckled a little as she choked back another cry with a nod. He waited until she walked outside to get some fresh air before getting their mugs refilled at the bar and promptly walked out to meet her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <span>Eugene had expected to find her standing right outside the door, but was surprised when she was nowhere to be found.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Eugene.” His head snapped up and he laughed a little when he saw her sitting up on the roof. The wind blew her short hair around her face and it reminded him of all the adventures they had been on together, everything they had truly been through together. His eyes landed on her hand that was held out to him in the same way he had held a hand out to her after the defeat of Zahn Tiri.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe you should take the drinks first.” She chuckled lightly and offered another hand. He passed her both mugs and after she set them down on the paneling, offered him another hand, one that he took. With little difficulty, she pulled him up to sit next to her, passing him one of the two mugs as she held the other towards him as if proposing a toast.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Friends? Despite everything?” Her tears from before had dried and were now replaced with a hopeful smile and one of those soft looks he had sworn were reserved for Rapunzel only. His heart swelled with affection and he shook his head as he touched his own mug to hers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Family.” Her eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise for only a moment before she wore the biggest smile he had ever seen from her, tears brimming her eyes. Cassandra nodded and bit her lip as if trying to contain the happiness she felt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Family.” She confirmed their toast before they broke the contact between their mugs and took a drink together. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two sat in silence, not because they didn’t have anything to say, but because for the first time in a few years, there was nothing that needed to be said. Eugene turned his gaze from the surrounding woods back to his sister and laughed as she tried, and failed, to suppress the smile that never left her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you remember when you used to send me eviction notices when I first moved into the castle?” Cassandra turned to face him before joining in his laughter, both taking a drink as their laughter died.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you remember when you used to steal my halberd to shave?” Eugene put down his drink with an amused smirk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When Rapunzel locked us in a prison together and we got kidnapped by the Stabbington Brothers?” She placed her drink on the faded blue panels with a chuckle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When you mixed up those damn berries for the gopher grab?” A laugh slipped past her lips and Eugene shook his head in amusement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah I’ll never make that mistake again. The things bimberries will do to a gopher…” Eugene let his gaze drift back to the woods with a content smile on his face, not realizing how much he truly missed her company. He heard an exasperated laugh beside him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You magnificent imbecile, you already made the mistake again! Dimberries, Eugene. I swear I’m going to write that all over your room before I leave.” He had a response on his tongue, but his laughter died and his brows furrowed. Something she had said didn’t sit right with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Before you leave? Cass?” He looked over at her and watched as her face fell, all signs of amusement gone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-”, Cass sighed and took a long drink before turning to face Eugene again, “I can’t stay here Eugene. I really messed up and I know I could earn the forgiveness of the citizens over time, but I don’t think I’m ready to forgive myself yet. I- I think I need to take some time away from Corona to find who I am, who I really am. I spent my whole life trying to prove that I was someone worth noticing, someone worth loving to everyone around me and I think it’s important that I take the time to prove that to myself. I- I don’t want to leave </span>
  <em>
    <span>you guys</span>
  </em>
  <span> I just- I’ll come back, I just need to sort myself out first…” Cassandra wrapped her arms around her middle and turned her gaze away from Eugene. His gaze lingered on her, and all at once, he felt like he understood </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>. With a sad smile, he placed a hand on her shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, I’ll hate to have you go so soon after you got back, but if you think you need to leave for a while to see what we see in you, I’m not going to stop you. Just know that you’ll always have a home in Corona whenever you’re ready to come back.” She let her arms drop back to her side and looked back up to her friend- no, her brother with a grateful smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for understanding… I’m not leaving right away though. I- obviously I’m going to help with the repairs, but thank you, Eugene. It- It really does mean a lot to me.” He returned the smile and threw an arm around her shoulders, grabbing his mug with the other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, that’s what family is for. Now, let’s finish these drinks and try to get some sleep. We both have a long day of labor ahead of us tomorrow.” Cassandra leaned into his hold as she grabbed her drink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And Rapunzel doesn’t find out about any of this?” Eugene squeezed her shoulders with a smirk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rapunzel doesn’t hear anything of this.” The two tapped their mugs together in agreement before finishing what remained inside of them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
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